Bloomberg View

A Better Future for Afghanistan

April 10, 2014

Illustration by 731

The outcome of Afghanistan’s elections on April 5 remains unclear, but we do know three things. First, turnout was high. Second, despite dire threats, the Taliban did not disrupt the vote. And finally, President Hamid Karzai’s days in office are numbered.

Inconclusive as those facts may seem, they’re already enough to present President Obama with an opportunity. He can help Afghanistan by acting quickly to clarify the U.S.’s plans beyond the end of this year, his deadline for withdrawing all combat troops.

Despite some reports of fraud, the election is a huge step forward for Afghan democracy. More than 7 million ballots have been tallied, representing about 60 percent of Afghanistan’s eligible voters. That’s almost double the rate in the last such vote in 2009, which saw Karzai reelected in a contest marred by reports of ballot stuffing. This time, candidates also sought to lure voters across tribal and ethnic lines. For instance, Abdullah Abdullah, the former foreign minister and a leading candidate, is identified with the Tajiks, but he has a Hazara and a Pashtun on his ticket.

The Taliban’s threat to “target all workers, activists, callers, security apparatuses, and offices” was hollow. High-profile attacks on foreigners and ministry buildings in Kabul were few; in rural areas, the disruption was localized. The Taliban are smart enough to know that killing ordinary Afghan voters wouldn’t broaden their support. Yet they did scare off many foreign election observers who would otherwise have been in place—a success that could matter if complaints about fraud grow to where the losers decide to reject the results. A preliminary tally will be released on April 24; a runoff between the top two candidates is likely.

Afghanistan’s friends will have to walk a thin line between warning candidates and power brokers about blatant ballot stuffing and accepting that a certain amount of fraud is inevitable in a country where 21 million voting cards were issued for roughly 12 million eligible voters. The incoming Afghan government mustn’t be delegitimized at the outset.

Obama has rightly congratulated Afghanistan’s voters on their bravery. He should now reassure them of U.S. financial and military support. For the last year, he and Karzai have been caught up in a spat over the Bilateral Security Agreement. Karzai has refused to sign, and Obama has refused to commit to a residual training and counterterrorism force of 8,000 to 12,000 U.S. troops unless he does.

All three leading candidates have said they’ll sign the security agreement, but the ultimate winner may not take office until September. Obama should deliver Afghanistan and the U.S. from this impasse by taking the candidates at their word and committing to the residual U.S. force. Failing to do so would create uncertainty, which the Taliban can exploit and may turn Afghanistan into a base for terrorist attacks. Karzai’s departure marks the first peaceful transition of presidential power in Afghan history. It’s time for a reset in the U.S.-Afghan relationship.